1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for removing and purifying air. More particularly, an ashtray that can be used as a table centerpiece as well as a vase for holding flowers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is well proliferated with numerous attempts to provide effective air cleaning and odor masking ashtrays. Most of these devices use a fan to draw in secondary air, filter out the impurities, then clean the air before returning it to the room both scented and refreshed. To many non-smokers, the smell of cigarette smoke is extremely unpleasant and can be in some cases actually nauseating. The Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking is dangerous to one's health, and that secondary smoke can actually be more hazardous than primary smoke. In fact much of the smoke emanating from a cigarette is generated not while the cigarette is actually being smoked, but while the cigarette is at rest in an ashtray. This smoke permeates the environment of the area and is a major problem. Restaurants have, usually by local ordinances, smoking and non-smoking sections. Not many establishments have voluntarily adopted a totally non-smoking policy for fear of losing a substantial customer base. The non-smoking sections do not usually solve the problem, since the secondary smoke will flow to all areas of the room. Thus, there is a need to have the polluted air removed from the nearby area, hopefully by an esthetically pleasing device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,205 issued to Weisskopf on Mar. 19, 1974, teaches the use of an ashtray with a filter system including air intake ducts for inhaling air. This device is extremely bulky and is not very esthetic. Unlike the present invention, it would not likely be employed as a centerpiece.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,442 issued to Waters on Jun. 29, 1971, discloses an odor masking and filtering ashtray. While Waters teaches multiple ports for drawing in smoke, it would hardly be suitable as a centerpiece.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,379 issued on Nov. 4, 1980 to Kohori, actually discloses an ashtray that will accept a cigarette within an aperture and thereby trapping the smoke. While Kohori teaches that this device can be decorative and can hold flowers, he does not teach of a device that attempts to treat the general secondary smoke around the occupants of the table. Kohori does not teach the use of any fan system to inhale the smoke.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,300 issued to Grube et al. on Jun. 9, 1987, teaches a smokeless ashtray that is battery powered. Grube et al. utilizes an air filter, preferably a multistage filter including activated charcoal. This device does not address the most important need, that is to ensure that it will be used. It will not be sufficiently utilized if it is not esthetically pleasing enough to encourage its use in a restaurant. The present invention seeks to solve this problem by providing an esthetically pleasing ashtray, one which can also serve as a flower vase centerpiece.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,591 issued to Tujisawa et al. on Mar. 22, 1988, discloses an air cleaning apparatus that has an esthetically pleasing appearance, that of a flower pot. A fan is disposed inside the container as is a filter. This air cleaning device addresses the need for cleaning the surrounding air, but it does not teach any means for handling lit cigarettes whereby the smoke from them is inhaled and cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,286 issued to Brinket on Oct. 8, 1996, discloses the use of a ventilating device for removing secondary smoke at the top of a gambling table. Fans inhale the smoke and then purify, clean and return refreshed air to the room. This device does not teach any way for it to be used as a centerpiece, especially in a public place where esthetics would be very important.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.